Australia is the latest jurisdiction to ban TikTok from government devices, handing the social media app yet another setback.
The US, UK, Canada, and the EU have all banned the social media app from government devices over privacy and national security concerns. The recent revelation that TikTok parent ByteDance used the app to surveil Forbes journalists was a major factor in pushing some lawmakers to take the drastic step.
According to Guardian Australia’s Josh Butler, Australia’s Attorney General announced the ban:
“The direction will come into effect as soon as practicable. Exemptions will only be granted on a case-by-case basis and with appropriate security mitigations in place,” read the announcement.
